Seen, Supported, Stronger: Thanks to Safe Communities
Angela Phelps
In late 2019 and early 2020, I was housed at the Dane County Jail after having been continuously incarcerated for nearly three years across multiple jurisdictions. At that point in my life, my involvement with the justice system was deeply connected to my substance use and mental health challenges. The cycle of incarceration had become familiar and exhausting, and I clearly knew that something had to change.
While at Dane County Jail, I was offered the opportunity to receive support from a peer recovery coach through Safe Communities. My mindset at the time was simple but determined: I wanted to take advantage of every resource available to me so that I would never return to incarceration.
Safe Communities connected me with a peer recovery coach named Lana. Lana met with me weekly and consistently showed up with compassion, encouragement, and practical support. She helped me explore resources, researched opportunities for me in preparation for my return to the community, and even attended court with me to speak on my behalf. Through her consistent presence, I began to feel like someone truly saw value in me. That experience encouraged me to challenge and reduce the internalized stigma I held about myself and my past. For the first time in a long time, I felt like someone genuinely believed in my ability to create a different life.
After leaving Dane County Jail, I was transferred to another jurisdiction (DuPage County, Illinois), where I remained for about a month. Even during that time, Lana continued to stay in contact with me. Her consistency reminded me that I had not been forgotten and that someone still cared about my future beyond the jail walls.
I was ultimately released from DuPage County back into the community during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. I felt overwhelmed and emotionally flooded once I regained my freedom. I was also stranded in Illinois, unable to return home to Indiana while waiting for approval of an interstate compact. The uncertainty, isolation, and fear could have easily pulled me backward.
During that fragile period, Lana remained a steady source of grounding and support. She helped me stay focused, encouraged me to keep moving forward, and took the initiative to connect me with IAIC so I could be linked with a peer recovery coach in Indiana. That connection helped bridge the gap between incarceration and community reentry and ensured that I did not have to navigate such a vulnerable transition alone.
That was nearly six years ago. Since then, my life has transformed in ways I once could not have imagined. I have become a peer recovery coach myself and am now a certified recovery coach trainer with Mental Health of America of Indiana.
In May 2025, I earned my master’s degree, and I am currently an EdD candidate at Marian University. More recently, I launched my own nonprofit organization focused on providing education and training facilitation to vulnerable populations.
Perhaps most meaningfully, I have built strong, healthy relationships that have shaped my growth and supported the person I am today. The journey has not always been easy. There have been challenges and difficult moments along the way, but thankfully, today I have the tools, support, and resilience to keep moving forward. The greatest privilege of my life now is walking alongside others in their own healing journeys.
Through my work with Mental Health of America of Indiana, I now have the privilege of training incarcerated individuals within the Indiana Department of Correction to become peer recovery coaches. These individuals have the opportunity to support others while still inside, cultivating purpose, leadership, and healing both within themselves and among those around them. This work is deeply full-circle and profoundly humbling.
And in a moment that feels especially meaningful to me: the same organization that I was once connected to for peer recovery services in Indiana, IAIC, is now an organization I serve as co-chair of the advisory board.
Safe Communities provided me with essential support at a time when I did not yet know how to build the foundation for my future. I genuinely believe that without their services and without Lana’s consistent continuum of care, I would not be where I am today. There are no words that fully capture my gratitude for the role Safe Communities played in my journey. Organizations like Safe Communities do more than provide services: they help restore dignity, cultivate hope, and transform vulnerability into strength. Their impact reaches far beyond the individual, creating ripples that extend to families, communities, and future generations.
Written by Angela Phelps